Story+2000-06-12+New+York+City,+NY

´´(sings ‘Take Me to the River’) That´s right....that’s where I wanna go tonight....that´s right....that´s where I wanna go tonight....I wanna go to the riverside....I wanna go to that river of life....that river of love....that river of faith....I wanna find that river of hope....I wanna find that river of exultations.....and that river of transformation where you can go and you can be changed....I wanna find that river of resurrection....where everybody gets a second chance.....I wanna go tonight to that river of sexual healing....and companionship.... that river of joy...and the river of happiness....that´s where I wanna go tonight and I want you to go with me....I said I want you to go with me....because I need to go with you....that´s why we´re here tonight.....because you can´t get there by yourself....no matter how you try, you can´t get to those things by yourself....so tonight I wanna throw us a rock and roll baptism.... a rock and roll exorcism....I wanna be washed in those waters and I wanna be set free again ....one evening....one evening I stood as a young man before a dark grove of trees....and just like a child, I was frightened to pass through those trees even though I knew that on the other side....the river of life was waiting.....on the other side there were no fucking cellphones !.... and there was cold beer at a reasonable price.....but I was paralyzed and I couldn´t pass through those trees....then a gypsy woman called me onward and she said ´Son, what you need is you need some help....what you need, what´s your line ? what is your line ?´ and I told her and she said ´What you need, Son, is you need a band to walk beside you´....that´s why I´m proud tonight here in New York City, at Madison Square Garden....this is the main event.....and I wanna say in this corner, on the piano, weighing at 135 pounds in his underwear....the Long Island Piano Pounder, Professor Roy Bittan....with me at the riverside ....and in this corner we´ve got....the Minister of faith and friendship, star of the ´Sopranos´-television-show....the Middletown Mafioso, Little Steven Van Zandt....with me at the riverside, Brother....we´ve got the foundation of the E Street nation, the Tennesee Terror, Mr.Garry W.Tallent.....we´ve got the man that brings the power night after night after night, star of Late Night Television....the East Orange Offender, the Mighty, Mighty, Mighty, Mighty Max....ladies and gentlemen, in this corner, we´ve got the Maryland Mauler, Godfather of heart and spirit, Godfather of the guitar, the great Nils Lofgren.....ladies and gentlemen, in this corner, with a record of a 165 unpaid New York City parking tickets....the Furious Flemington Furs´ Salesman, on the B-3 and accordion, Brother Dan Federici....and now, brunettes are fine and blondes are fun but when it come to getting a dirty job done, it takes a (crowd : ´Red headed woman´) the Asbury Park Heartbreaker (crowd : ´Red headed woman´) I´m looking for my baby (crowd : ´Red headed woman´) I´m searching for my girl now (crowd : ´Red headed woman´)(Patti sings a bit of ´Rumble Doll´), Miss Patti Scialfa on the guitar and vocals....thank you, baby... and last but not least.....in the far corner.... Minister of soul, Secretary of the brotherhood.....forget about that kid from Long Island, the next senator of the state of New York.....are you ready to rumble ?....do I have to say his name ? ....do I have to say his name ?...say who ?....say who ?....say who ?....say who ?....say who ? ....say who ?....say who ?....say who ?.... (....) E Street Band !....the heart-stopping, earth-shaking, housebreaking, legendary, history-making E Street Band !....”
 * 12.06.00 New York City, NY, middle of ´Tenth Avenue Freeze Out´**

´´Oh yeah, thank you....alright, this is, uh....for the folks from City Harvest that are with us tonight....they´re out in the lobby....dig up some of that cash, City Harvest is a.....foodbank here in New York City dedicated to helping New York´s struggling citizens, there´s many, many, many people that, uh, the economy is not reaching and they depend on City Harvest to help them meet their daily needs....that no child need, may go to bed hungry at night so please, they´ll be out there in the hall on your way out, stop by and see ´em, they deserve your time and your support, this is for the folks from City Harvest....do my greatest hit for the folks from City Harvest....”
 * 12.06.00 New York City, NY, intro to ´Dancing in the Dark´**

´´New York City !....New York City !....but everywhere I’ve gone, I’ve seen people lost in confusion....I´ve seen people lost in the wilderness....I´ve seen people lost on the subway in loneliness....I´ve seen people lost in envy of the New Jersey Devils winning the Stanley Cup....I´ve seen people lost at the Statue of Liberty which is actually in New Jersey....I´ve seen people lost in bitterness....but that´s alright ´cause tonight we´re here on a search-and-rescue mission, if you´ve been downhearted, disspirited, disgusted, dispossessed, downsized, analyzed, stigmatised, fractionalised, retropsychedelizised....Republicanised....it´s not too late to repent....I’m here tonight....I’m here tonight.... I’m here tonight....I’m here tonight.... I’m here tonight....I’m here tonight .....I’m here tonight....I’m here tonight, I wanna re-educate you, resuscitate you, regenerate you, reconfiscate you, reindoctrinate you, recombobolate you, resexualate you....reliberate you with the power and the glory, with the majesty, with the mystery....with the ministry of rock and roll !....that´s right....with the ministry of rock and roll !....that´s right, that´s right.....now, unlike my competitors, I shall not, I will not, I cannot promise you life everlasting ....but I can promise you life....right now !...and all you gotta do is raise your hand and say ‘I’.....”
 * 12.06.00 New York City, NY, middle of ´Light of Day´**

//Compiled by : Johanna Pirttijärvi//